The good: No carafe, easy to clean up, nice and square - clean look. Coffee stays warm for hours after the heater turns off. I suspect it probably uses less electricity than most coffee makers.

The bad: No carafe means no way to put water into the machine. Do you have a device to measure exactly 12 cups? I sure didn't. The water fill hole is in the BACK of the machine by the hinge to the lid and is about the size of two quarters. This means it's exceedingly difficult to pour into without putting water all over the place. Finally, want to dump your excess coffee? One cup at a time!